DEVELOPMENTAL MODELS OF SOCIAL COGNITION IN ASSESSING THE ROLE OF FAMILY STRESS IN RELATIVES PREDICTIONS FOLLOWING TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY

The present study extended the utilization of developmental models of social cognition to the investigation of stress and relatives' percept ion of traumatic brain injury (TBI) survivors. Structured interviews w ere conducted with 21 TBI survivors utilizing interpersonal negotiatio n strategies (INS) and self understanding (self) in the framework of S elman's model of social perspective-taking and Damon and Hart's multid imensional model of self understanding. A relative group composed of 2 1 participants was interviewed and their predictions of the responses of the TBI survivors to the action domain of the INS stories were obta ined. The relative participant group was also administered the Beck An xiety and Depression Inventories and Leeds Scales of Depression and An xiety. The relationships among relative groups' predictive scores, INS and self domains and stress levels were analysed. The result of the s urvivor groups responses on INS and self were in agreement with the pr evious findings that TBI survivors respond at psychosocially immature levels. Comparison of INS action scores obtained by the survivor group and predicted by relative group were within one developmental level o f each other in 87.4% of the cases. Fifty-two per cent of the relative group scored in mild to moderate or greater depression and 48% scored in the mild to moderate range of anxiety on the Beck scales. Pearson correlation coefficients indicated significant negative correlations b etween Beck scores and predictive INS scores. ANOVA indicated signific antly higher Beck depression scores in relatives of TBI survivors livi ng in residential facilities than relatives of TBI survivors in an out patient treatment programme. The study supports the view that developm ental social cognition methods appear to advance our understanding of psychosocial adjustments and relatives' perceptions of social cognitio n in TBI survivors.